Tobacco cutting device



May 25, 1937. v LORENTZ I 2,081,460

TOBACCO CUTTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 15, 1934 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 I May 1937.v. LoRENTz' v v TOBACCO CUTTING DEVICE Filed Dec; 15, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 25, 1937 TOBACCO CUTTING DEVICE ValentinLorentz, Dolzschen, near Dresden, Germany 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a tobacco cutting device with rotating cutterblocks whose knives engage one another.

The knives used in cutting devices of this type are known to be quitethin, so that the spaces between them are correspondingly narrow andoften filled up with tobacco fibers after short operation, which leadsto the clogging of the entire cutting device and prevents furtherworking. It was further known to employ clearers for the tobacco, butthey were arranged in one row, which caused excessive heating of theknives and premature wear.

The invention provides a tobacco cutting device which completelyeliminates the defects mentioned above by distributing the clearers orstrippers over various parts of the circumference of the cutter discs. I

It is of particular advantage if the strippers are provided directlybehind the stripping edge with a recess or inward bulge whichfacilitates the lifting of the tobacco fibers. It is further advisableto construct the strippers disposed below the cutting point as rotaryclearers and to provide them with a suitable drive.

As the strippers engaging between the knives are subjected toconsiderable wear on the stripping edge during operation of the cuttingdevice, the invention provides suitable grinding means for the strippersor clearers, which cooperate with the latter outside the range of thecutting members.

To make the grinding of the clearers possible they can be taken or swungout of the cutting device. The clearers or strippers are preferablydisposed on a common carrier which is movably arranged in the frame ofthe cutting device, and they are so closely adjacent to the knives or sodimensioned at their bearings that 40 they will partly engage the gapsbetween the knives during the cutting process even if in swung-outposition.

The clearers or the carrying device for them are advantageously soconstructed that they can be exchanged independently of one another. Forthis purpose the carrier for the clearers comprises a fixed and aremovable holder. The fixed holder is constructed so that the stripperscan be moved with their shafts over and beyond the fixed holder, whereasthe removable holder can be pressed against the shafts for directcooperation therewith or for engaging corresponding recesses therein.The removable holder serves also as protection against withdrawal of theclearers from the fixed holder.

To insure correct spacing of the clearers, suitable distance members maybe employed and disposed between the individual clearers on thecarriers.

By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the cuttingdevice, partly in section; Fig. 2, a similar view as Fig. 1, wherein thestrippers are shown in grinding position; Fig. 3, a diagram of amodified construction of a cutting device; Fig. 4, a section of theupper part of a cutter block on the line ab=, of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6are detail views showing, respectively, the clearers and theintermediate discs between them.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the shafts I aredisplaceably and adjustably arranged in the casing 2 and carry thecircular knives 3 separated from each other by the shims or fillers 4.Below the cutting point clearers 2B are provided, the construction ofwhich will be described later on and which engage between the knives toremove the tobacco fibers from the gaps between the knives. Above thecutting point suitable guiding surfaces 6 are provided on which thetobacco leaves, as indicated in Fig. 1, pass in a thin layer to thecutting station. Fig. 3 shows that the shafts l are arranged Within thecasing 2.

The lower part of the casing 2 is formed by a funnel 8 which extendsinto a discharge piping I3 (Fig. 3).

In the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a clearer of special constructionand shown in detail again in Fig. 5 is used.

The clearers comprise in the main a plate disc 26 fitted at its frontend with a nose 2'1. Directly behind the nose 2'! the clearer 25possesses a recess 28 for facilitating the discharge of the fibers ofcut tobacco. In its base the clearer 26 has a recess 29 and anotherrecess 38, the latter being formed between the two projections 3!. Therecesses 29 and 3t and the projections 3| serve for properly securingthe clearers to their carriers. In the casing 2 of the cutting devicecarriers 33 are movably disposed about the pin 32. The clearers 25 arepushed onto these carriers 33 by means of the recesses 38. There isfurther a removable holder 3t which, after all clearers have beenbrought upon the holder 33, is introduced into the recess 29 and thensuitably secured in the ma chine frame. In this way the clearers 26 areimmovably fixed in position. The distance between the various clearersis maintained by suitable intermediate members 35 shown in Fig. 6 andprovided with recesses corresponding to those of the clearers 26.

In the construction of the machine according to Figs. 1 and 2 theclearers 26 are staggered relative to one another by means of acorresponding number of carriersv 33 and 34. On a level with theclearers 26 suitable grinding rollers 36 are arranged which are rotatedby a drive, not shown. The grinding rollers 36 serve for grinding therecess 28 of the clearers 26. This recess must always have sharp edges,as otherwise the tobacco fibers will pass between the clearer and theknife and cause jamming of the machine.

To make possible the grinding of the clearers 26 the carriers 33, 34 ofthe clearers 26 are swingingly or rotatably arranged in the machineframe. In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the clearers are in workingposition, i. e., in the position at which cutting takes place. In Fig.2, however, the clearers are shown in swung-out position, i. e., in theposition at which they .are reground by the discs 36. As a comparison ofthe two figures will disclose, the clearers 26 have been swung out fromthe knives 3 through a certain angle for carrying out the grindingprocess, but they are nevertheless so arranged and shaped that theypartly engage between the knives to insure proper engagement between theknives when they are turned back.

In the construction according to Fig. 3 the clearers are rotatable andconsist mainly of the discs 2| fitted with appropriate noses or grippers22. The clearers 2|, 22 rest below the cutting point on suitable shafts23 and are moved in the direction of the arrow by a drive, not shown,whereas the clearers 2|, 22 operate above the cutting point or on alevel therewith on the outer circumference of the knives 3. The clearers2|, 22' are located on suitable shafts 23' and are moved in thedirection of the arrow by a drive, not shown. On a level with the placewhere the tobacco leaves are inserted the intermediate discs 25 areloosely displaceably and freely rotatably disposed on the shafts 24 andengage between the knives 3 for maintaining the correct spacing thereof.In Fig. 4 the arrangement of the intermediate discs 25 is shown again indetail, the clearers 2| or 2| being positioned so that while the clearer2| works in a gap below the cutting station the clearer 2| operating inthe adjacent gap is displaced 90 and thus works on a level with thecutting station. This staggered arrangement of the clearers preventsexcessive wear of the knives or clearers or clamping of the knife discs.

Various other forms of the device are possible. For example, theclearers may have another shape or the knife discs may be arranged ordriven differently.

I claim:

1. A tobacco cutting device, comprising rotary cutter blocks formed ofthin knife discs alternately disposed with intermediate members on acommon shaft, cleaning members engaging the gaps between the individualknife discs, said cleaning members being distributed over differentparts of the circumference of the knife discs, and grinding means forsaid cleaning members, said cleaning members cooperating with saidgrinding means outside the range of the knife discs.

2. A tobacco cutting device according to claim 1, comprising a commoncarrier for the cleaning means rotatably arranged in the machine frame.

3. A tobacco cutting device, comprising rotary cutter blocks formed ofthin knife discs alternately disposed with intermediate members on acommon shaft, cleaning members engaging the gaps between the individualknife discs, said cleaning members being distributed over differentparts of the circumference of the knife discs, grinding means for saidcleaning members, said cleaning members cooperating with said grindingmeans outside the range of the knife discs, means for adjusting thecleaning members for grinding, and a common carrier for the cleaningmeans swingingly arranged in the machine frame, said carrier beinglocated so closely to the knife discs that said cleaning members extendpartly between the discs in grinding position.

4. A tobacco cutting device, comprising rotary cutter blocks formed ofthin knife discs alternately disposed with intermediate members on acommon shaft, cleaning members engaging the gaps between the individualknife discs, said cleaning members being distributed over differentparts of the circumference of the knife discs, grinding means for saidcleaning members, said cleaning members cooperating with said grindingmeans outside the range of the knife discs, means for adjusting thecleaning members for grinding, and a common carrier for the cleaningmeans swingingly arranged in the machine frame, said carrier beinglocated so closely to the knife discs that said cleaning members extendpartly between the discs in grinding position and comprising a fixed anda removable holder to permit exchange of the cleaning membersindependently of one another.

5. A tobacco cutting device according to claim 4, wherein the removableholder secures the strippers to prevent their removal from the fixedholder.

6. A tobacco cutting device according to claim 4, wherein a stationaryand a removable, holder bar .are provided in the machine frame below thecircular knives and the strippers have projections forming recesses forcooperation with said bars.

, 7. A tobacco cutting device according to claim 4, wherein the holdersare of rectangular cross section and the projections of the strippersform corresponding rectangular recesses.

8. A tobacco cutting device according to claim 4, wherein between thestrippers distance pieces are provided adapted to the form of the lowerpart of the strippers and disposed with the strip-

